Far off global goals
Globally things could also be very much improved – particularly in Africa, the home of the bottom five countries. Niger is rock bottom, followed by Chad, the Central African Republic, Mali and Somalia.

“If we don’t overcome the barriers that prevent girls from surviving, learning and living up to their potential, then the [UN’s 17] global goals set by the world’s leaders last year are in danger,” Jonas Keiding Lindholm, the secretary general of Red Barnet, said according to Metroxpress newspaper.

“One of the goals is to completely stop child marriages by 2030. So far, things are progressing far too slowly with reaching that goal, and meanwhile we are stealing the childhood and future of millions of girls.”